Michael Matthews, age 22, of
London, England, lost his life on May 13, 1999, while descending to Camp 4 from
the summit of Mt. Everest. Mike was wearing a red
Northface Himalayan down suit.
There as black trim on the
shoulders and knees, and he
would have been wearing a Russian oxygen system with perhaps a "UK" or
American bottle (UK or American bottle is about twice as large as the orange
Russian bottles) and was a grey-blue color. His boots were black One-Sport
boots with yellow trim. His ice axe was a silver color and was made of
metal. We have reason to believe that Mike was approximately 200-300
meters above the balcony when he lost his life.

Mike's family requests that
any climber (western or Sherpa) who locates what he thinks may be Mike's
body or personal effects please contact EverestNews.com at everestnews2004@adelphia.net
or Jak M. Smith at jaksmith@dixie-net.com
or telephone number 1-662-844-7721 in the United States. We would
appreciate you locating the body or effects as precisely as possible and
contacting one of us. Your cooperation and help would be greatly
appreciated. Jak M. Smith

The
satellite communication company, Thrane & Thrane, is sponsoring the first
all Danish Mount Everest Expedition. The expedition named BigE  Thrane
& Thrane Danish Everest Expedition 2000 - All eight members of the
BigE-expedition are among the most experienced Danish climbers with significant
mountaineering experience. Leader of the expedition and team doctor is Henrik
Jessen Hansen. Henrik Jessen Hansen has been on five earlier expeditions to
the Himalayas, including one to Mount Everest in 1996. This year was a
disastrous year at Mount Everest with numerous casualties. As a result, Henrik
Jessen Hansen had to give up his personal attempt to reach the summit. Instead
Henrik Jessen Hansen established the world highest located emergency hospital,
where he performed important and needed rescue help.

Three Dutch Climbers
Frits Vrijlandt, Steven Le Poole, and Joke Groenendaal: Frits and Steven, will
attempt to climb Everest via the North ridge. When they succeed, they will be
the first Dutchmen to do so. Joke will keep you updated.

Dispatch: Frits
Vrijlandt Happy Breakfast

"Once more we have had a
big breakfast outside: Heavy breakfast (eggs, bacon, fried potatoes with garlic,
tomato and bread). The waiter pronounces it as 'happy breakfast' causing
hilarious laughter every time.

This morning we slept late
because we had our first appointment at 10 am: a Lama would bless the expedition
members. At 10.30 we were at the Asian Trekking warehouse, where we would meet
our sherpas.

We bought the required prayer
flags and prayer shawls, but our sherpas had tough luck at the monastery: the
Lama was out. The next Lama was in, residing in his town dwellings on the second
floor of Kathmandu's cable company. This Lama is the spiritual leader of the
largest monastery on the way to the Nepalese Everest Base Camp. The sherpas had
not announced our visit, so we had to wait until the Lama had finished lunch.
Every one of us was received by the Lama for a personal blessing and after that,
the prayer flags for our Base Camp got their blessing too.

This afternoon we have renumbered our 22 pieces of luggage at Asian Trekking.
Every single piece of luggage must get its unique number so we can easily keep
an eye on our belongings during the next few days. Afterwards I went back to our
hotel for a rest and to find out whether there was anything left to do. There
was: getting fifty liters of fuel and oil for the generator and a 0-modem cable
to connect our two laptop computers. By the time I found that cable, I had
scoured fourteen of the sixteen computer shops on New Road. But as far as I can
see, now we really have everything we might possibly need and are ready to leave
for Tibet. Tonight we'll have a goodbye-steak at KC's Restaurant and pack our
rucksack for the next few days."

List of Expeditions who
have paid for their permits
in Nepal:
Not a complete list of all Expeditions for Spring, just a list
who has paid so far...

Permitted
During 2000 Spring Season

Country
Wise

S.No

Expedition
Team

Name of
the Peak & Height

Ascent
Route

Name of
the Leader

Country

Australia

1

Australian
Kumbhakarna Expedition

Kumbhakarna
(7710m.)

N.
Face

Mr.
Athol

Australia

2

Catalion
Amadablam Expedition 2000

Amadablam

S.E
Ridge

Mr.
Xavier Gonzalez

Australia

Austria

3

Carinthin
Makalu I Expedition

Makalu
I (8463m.)

N.W.
Ridge

Dr.
Erich Resch

Austria

4

Austrian
Amadablam Expedition

Amadablam
(6812m.)

SER

Mr.
Theo Fritsche

Austria

5

RAX
Pumori 2000

Pumori
(7161m.)

SER

Mr.
Gerhard Ferstl

Austria

Canada

6

Team
Everest 2000 Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Byron Smith

Canada

Denmark

7

Thrane
& Thrane Mountaineering Team Everest 2000

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

S.Pillar

Mr.
Henrik Jessen Hansen

Denmark

France

8

French
Annapurna I (GMHM) Expedition

Annapurna
I (8091m.)

N.
Face

Mr.
Thierry Bolo

France

Georgia

9

Lhotse
Grus 2000 Expedition

Lhotse

W.Face

Mr.
Benedict Kashakashvilli

Georgia

Germany

10

Himalaya
2000 Saxony Himalaya Exp.

Baruntse

S.E.
Ridge

Mr.
Gotz Weigand

Germany

11

Amical
Alpine Dhauligiri I Exp' 2000.

Dhaulagiri
I

N.E
Ridge

Mr.
Hojo Netzer

Germany

India

12

Himalayan
Medical Camp Everest Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Syamal Sarkar

India

13

Indo
Tibetan Border Police Expedition

Kanchenjunga

S.W
Side

Mr.
Sunil Datta Sharma

India

Italy

14

Italian
Makalu Expedition

Makalu
I (8463m.)

NWR

Mr.
Christian Kuntner

Italy

Japan

15

Kozankai
Tilicho Peak Expedition 2000

Tilicho
(7134m.)

N.
Side

Mr.
Masaki Koike

Japan

16

Shinshu
University Ganesh Himal II Exp. 2000

Ganesh
II (7111m.)

SER

Mr.
Hideki Yoshida

Japan

17

East
Japan Manaslu Expedition 2000

Manaslu
(8163m.)

E.
Face

Mr.
Yoshio Maruyama

Japan

18

Osaka
Eiho Alpine Club Exp. 2000 Spring

Gyachung
Kang

S.E
Ridge

Mr.
Takashi Shiro

Japan

Korea

19

2000
Korean 7 Summits Expedition

Sagarmatha

SER

Mr. Son
Joong Ho

Korea

20

2000
Korean Kanchenjunga Exp.

Kanchenjunga

S.Face

Mr. Go
In Kyung

Korea

21

2000
Korean Manaslu Expedition

Manaslu

N.E
Ridge

Mr. Han
Wang Yong

Korea

22

2000
Dongguk Makalu Expedition

Makalu
I

N.E
Ridge

Mr.
Hyoung Woo Kim

Korea

Mexico

23

Expedicion
Mexicana Amadablam

Amadablam

SWR

Mr.
Pablo Juarrez Logos

Mexico

Nepal

24

Nepalese
Women Millennium Everest Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Miss
Lhakpa Sherpa

Nepal

New
Zealand

25

Expedition

Amadablam

N.
Ridge

Mr.
David Crafts

NewZealand

Spain

26

Expedicio
2000 Al Everest Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Antoni Bahi Alburquerque

Spain

27

Expedition
Andalucia Everest 2000

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Manuel Gonzale Diaz

Spain

28

Tarragona
Expedition Everest 2000

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

S.Pillar

Mr.
Joan Tomas Gebelli

Spain

29

Royal
Expedition Annapurna 2000 Spain

Annapurna
I (8091m.)

N.
Face

Mr.
Josep A. Pujante

Spain

30

ETB
2000 Expedition

Manaslu

N.E
Ridge

Mr.
Felix Maria I. Iriate

Spain

Slovenia

31

Slovene
Himalayan Exp' Lhotse 2000.

Lhotse

West
CWM

Mr.
Tomaz Zerovnik

Slovenia

Switzerland

32

Valais
Kanchenjunga Exp' 2000.

Kanchenjunga

S.
Face

Mr.
Andre Georges

Switzerland

U.K.

33

Sagarmatha
Millennium Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Gavin Bate

UK

34

HG
Lhotse Expedition 2000

Lhotse
(8516m.)

W.
Face

Mr.
Henry B. Todd

UK

35

HG
Everest Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Henry B. Todd

UK

36

British
Baruntse Expedition

Baruntse
(7129m.)

SER

Mr.
John Baker

UK

37

British
Chamlang Exp. Spring 2000

Chamlang
(7319m.)

N.Face

Mr.
Christopher G. Comerie

UK

38

HG III
Everest Expedition USA

Sagarmatha

SER

Mr.
Patrick J. Kenny

UK

39

BSKE
2000 Ramtang Peak Expedition

Ramtang

Normal

Mr. A.J.
Edington

UK

40

British
Services Kanchenjunga Exp. 2000

Kanchenjunga

Yalung
Face

Mr.
Andrew Hughes

UK

U.S.A

41

Mountain
Madness Sagarmatha Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Ms.
Christine Boskoff

USA

42

2000
Everest Environmental Expedition

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Robert H Hoffman

USA

43

International
Mountain Guides Everest 2000

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Eric Simonson

USA

44

2000
Everest Millennium Expedition USA

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Randy Todd

USA

45

Arun
International Everest Expedition Spring 2000

Sagarmatha
(8848m.)

SER

Mr.
Gary J. Guller

USA

46

RAM
2000 Amadablam Expedition

Amadablam
(6812m.)

SWR

Mr.
Ronald Matous

USA

47

Amadablam
2000 NFB Expedition

Amadablam
(6812m.)

SWR

Mr.
Pasquale V. Scaturro

USA

48

American
Amadablam Expedition

Amadablam
(6812m.)

SWR

Mr.
Matthew Fioretti

USA

49

Connecting
Class Room to the World Pumori 2000

Pumori
(7161m.)

SWR

Mr.
Worsham Donald

USA

50

International
Annapurna I Expedition

Annapurna
I

N.
Face

Mr.
Edmund Viesturs

USA

51

Colorado
Amadablam Expedition 2000

Amadablam

S.
Ridge

Mr.
David Penney

USA

52

American
Spring 2000 Amadablam Expedition

Amadablam

SWR

Mr.
Jeffrey S. Clapp

USA

Source: Bikrum Pandey Kathmandu
Nepal

Annapurna Spring 2000:

EverestNews.com will
follow the attempt on Annapurna of the "International Annapurna 2000
Expedition": We think
you will find these daily reports very interesting. Go to their site for the
pictures and dispatches in Spanish. Their
web site: www.interofer.es/annapurna2000
with reports in Spanish, Pictures and more !

Title: Without
news from the Expedition

Weather: Variable
temperatures.

Expedition
Location: Unknown

Next objective: To
cross the Tolobugin Pass at 4300 meters.

Update:
The lack of news makes us speculate
that the team is crossing the Thulobugin
Pass. The itinerary puts them at Base Camp after crossing this path so it is
assumed the next communication will come from there. In the mean time, we
spoke with Antoni Villena, a Catalan mountaineer who knows the area around
the pass like few others. He has visited there on two occasions. He
was also a member of the second Spanish expedition to Annapurna. He said
"If the porters have left the team because of the adverse weather
conditions near the ascent to the Thulobugin Pass, the complications will worsen
in the climb out of the pass". Villena was in the pass last year, 25 after
his first visit, on his way to Annapurna Base Camp. The team's
situation is not strange to him. "It
is normal that it snows during this time of year considering the altitude.
Additionally, when thinking of the steep entrance to the Pass, it is very
dangerous".
"The snow accumulates in the path which forces the team, in many
cases, to install fixed lines to secure the section ". Antoni Villena, who
will return to the Nepal to hike the Annapurna circuit, assures us that the
complications are far from over. "The path to Base Camp of the north
face of the Annapurna is without a doubt the most complicated of those to any of
the 14 8,000 meter peaks. Thus, it is not a surprise that the porters would fear
this route.".
"Annapurna is a mountain of that is not journeyed to very much because of
these difficulties and the avalanche danger, it is danger. ",
explained prestigious the climber. Source: The Annapurna Web Site Editor.

EverestNews.com has added
a Spring 2000 Annapurna Page where EverestNews.com
will report News on this
expedition and other
Annapurna News.